4 • The Southwest Portland Post
THE COUNTRY STORE
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
Golden Touch restaurant to
remain open for now
the property. They moved down a mile
away. The restaurant was going to close
its doors at the end of this month.
“It began one day during lunch
several years ago,” explained waitress
Chelsea Messer, who married the
owner’s son. “Developers were seen
walking around the property without
any communication to the staff.”
“The lease was up in April,” said her
husband as he flipped pancakes and
prepared tuna salads.
A few seats down, Dale Carper, from
Gresham, was finishing up his breakfast
and was shocked to hear about the
potential closing.
“I’ve been coming here since the
‘90s,” he said. “This is high quality,
affordable food done right with home-
style cooking.”
“The property owners tried several
time to break our lease,” Messer said.
“According to them we were in violation
of ‘anything’. We used all our savings
to sue them and lost.”
The restaurant was rented for the
set of TV series “Grimm,” and also the
set of a Harley-Davidson photo shoot.
Former Governor Barbara Roberts used
to eat here and many Trailblazer players
have eaten here over the years.
“We’re going to be here another year.
Please spread the word,” Messer said.
Barbur Boulevard Rentals
and related homes for sale,
just $10 million
Right across the street from the
Golden Touch Restaurant, lies an
institution, and museum of sorts: Barbur
Boulevard Rentals. This property, too,
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Hold the presses: the Golden Touch
restaurant, located at 8124 SW Barbur
Blvd., has received a temporary reprieve
and will stay open at least until May
2017.
According to Jeremy Messer, son of
the owner George Messer, deliberations
between the restaurant owners and
property owner brokered a deal to keep
the Golden Touch open, at least for now.
“I wanted to call you before you went
to press,” the younger Messer said days
before the paper’s deadline. “We’re
going to remain open!”
While eyes are focused on large
apartment complexes and transportation
issues in Southwest Portland, a large
developer has proposed a 101-foot tall
commercial and residential building
where the Golden Touch has resided
since 1982.
According to the permit, the applicant
proposes to construct approximately
223 dwelling units (up from a previous
number of 140), commercial space for
a Natural Grocers, and 452 parking
spaces.
In anticipation of future transit and
bicycle improvements at this area, a
sizeable right-of-way dedication of
7,200 square feet approximately 20 feet
in depth will be required.
Pacific Typewriter has already vacated
BUSINESS
April 2016
Owner Scott Edwards and son Casey, take a break outside their rental business. The
property is up for sale. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
will soon be redeveloped making
room for additional commercial and
residential options in an area growing
by leaps and bounds.
Owner, Scott Edwards has put the
property up for sale but is definitely
not retiring or selling the business.
He’s looking for space in Clackamas
or Washington counties.
Locally owned since 1958, Barbur
Boulevard Equipment Rentals was
started by Richard Edwards, Scott’s
father. At one time, Edwards had
25 bulldozers and 25 tractors. With
changing demographics and zoning
changes, Edwards has no option but
to move along.
“People hire gardeners and
landscapers these days,” Edwards
explained. “They don’t need many of
the items I have for rent.”
Edwards complained about the high
property taxes in Multnomah County
and the state raising the minimum
wage to the highest level in Portland.
“This will cost me even more
expenses,” he sighed. “I will probably
raise my prices.”
He has 25 employees and expands
to about 40 in the summer months.
Edwards started working for his father
at age 15 filling gas cans and carrying
equipment to customers’ trucks.
According to Edwards, the latest
price tag for the property is $10 million.
That includes several homes and an old
farmhouse where some of his relatives
live.
“I’ve had a few offers already,”
Edwards said as he showed off over
200 high chairs and numerous shelves
of tents and tablecloths.
“But what the potential buyers had
in mind didn’t fly with the city,” he
said. “The city is not business friendly.
Permits are needed for everything
and are confronted with countless
regulations.”
The Golden Touch will soon be
redeveloped. Light rail or rapid bus
transit will eventually run down
Barbur Boulevard spawning even more
developments. Other local businesses
are being torn down or remodeled.
“I’ve seen Safeway get remodeled
twice,” he said.
Edwards pointed out a gorilla in a
cage sitting next to an old dunking tank.
“You can rent anything here,”
Edwards beamed, “from a wrench to
uh, well, a gorilla in a cage!”
While one can, stop by and see his
collection of old photos of the area,
animal trophies on the wall, and
his hunting and fishing expeditions
around the world. You can’t rent those
though.
(Continued on Page 6)
@calyxes
@greenbodhi
503-889-0682 • 7501 SW Capitol Hwy Suite A, Portland, OR • info@calyxes.com
The original booths await more customers now that the Golden Touch restaurant will
remain open for another year. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
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